Office of the Historian

611.3131/668

The Ambassador in Venezuela (Corrigan) to the Secretary of State

No. 429
Caracas, August 1, 1940.
[Received August 6.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform the Department that a few days ago the Minister for Foreign Affairs1 in the course of a conversation touching other subjects referred to what he termed “the excessively unfavorable trade balance between the United States and Venezuela”. He added that he was sending me two notes on this subject. These notes have now been received, and one, with its enclosure, is transmitted herewith in copy and translation. The other, which opens up again the old question of obtaining a reduction on the duty on meat destined for Puerto Rico, is made the subject of a separate despatch.2 For the time being the Embassy has merely informed the Minister for Foreign Affairs that these notes have been forwarded to the Department.

The Embassy is checking the figures presented by the Foreign Office to support its claim as to the trade situation between the two countries. It would appear desirable to have an accurate estimate as to the international balance of payments between Venezuela and the United States and any information which the Department can supply on this subject would be most useful. It will be highly desirable also to have an expression of the Department’s views or suggestions on the question raised by the Venezuelan note should the Embassy be actively pressed on this matter by the Foreign Office.

Respectfully yours,

Frank P. Corrigan
[Enclosure—Translation]

The Venezuelan Minister for Foreign Affairs (Gil Borges) to the American Ambassador (Corrigan)

Caracas, July 25, 1940.

Mr. Ambassador: For the information of Your Excellency and Your Excellency’s Government I have the honor to transmit herewith [Page 1177] a report3 prepared by the Bureau of Foreign Trade of this Department on trade between the United States of Venezuela and the United States of America.

The analysis which is made in that report suggests the need for considering as soon as possible the measures which may contribute to increasing the exportation of articles of Venezuelan origin and procedence to the United States of America.

While European markets were open to our exports the situation described in the attached report presented no urgent characteristics. With those markets closed it is natural to think that the country which sells the most to ours has the greatest interest in conserving this market by increasing its purchases of our national products.

I avail myself [etc.]

E. Gil Borges
  1. Estebán Gil Borges.↩
  2. Despatch No. 430, August 1, not printed.↩
  3. Not printed↩